Dr. Jin: Episode 12

Now Dr. Jin is entertaining for the right/intentional reasons, which is a late-game reversal but certainly not an unwelcome one. This episode really stepped up the ante of actions versus consequences, giving Hyuk a host of moral dilemmas with seemingly easy solutions that turn into bad news bears for everyone else. It’s almost as if Fate was just napping for the last eleven episodes, and then woke up with a vengeance. Good luck, Hyuk.

EPISODE 12 RECAP

A group of rioting peasants storm the area just as Ha-eung is about to take that fatal drink. They start beating the officials, leaving Ha-eung bewildered but alive, and Hyuk immediately recognizes what he sees – the beginnings of a rebellion that would reach its peak in 1894 (called the Donghak Peasant Revolution).

The case in Jinju is historically documented and on par with this drama’s timeline, since it took place in 1862 as a means of revolting against corrupt officials. Hyuk apparently studied his history as much as he studied medicine, and realizes the gravity of what’s happening in tearful awe, just as Kyung-tak is apprised of the events. I can’t tell if this rebellion is literally transcendent for Hyuk, or whether he just has leftover tears, because that single tear seems Very Meaningful.

Minister Kim & Co. get the news at the same time, and vow to squelch the revolt before it gains even more momentum. Luckily the city where it all started, Jinju, is where he exiled Kyung-tak. Against Dae-gyun’s pleading, Minister Kim orders that Kyung-tak now be put in charge.

Back in Jinju, Ha-eung tries to stop the peasants from dragging the Royal Inspector off (why they wouldn’t go for him in his fancy robes is beyond me) to no avail, and they turn on him. Hyuk and Joo Pal step up to defend him, though Ha-eung bravely tells the mob that he’s a relative of the King. Ha-eung, maybe it’s not a great idea to tell a group of peasants rioting against the ruling class that you are the ruling class.

And Minister Kim is in for some serious scolding now that the Queen Dowager has woken up, and she decries him for ordering Ha-eung’s execution. Luckily her age has come with wisdom, and she’s already convinced the King to reverse the order, so that by the time they speak a messenger is already on his way to save Ha-eung.

The boys have managed to save the Royal Inspector, though Hyuk tries and fails to dissuade Ha-eung from going through with the execution. Ha-eung wants to do what’s right and what has been commanded of him even as he laments all he could have done for Joseon with Hyuk’s help.

Luckily again, the Queen Dowager’s messenger arrives just then with the new royal decree, and I love that it just sounds like, It’s been a crazy couple of days, so, sorry I tried to kill you. We’re cool now, you can come back.

On her way to see her brother, Young-rae and her maidservant come upon a village in the throes of a rebellion and, more specifically, a child who runs to them with her hanbok ripped. She’s escaping from her rapists, a group of two lackeys and one power hungry magistrate who claims that he was “interrogating” her.

And after a Whose Voice Is Deeper face-off with Young-rae, he kills the girl and advances on her with a leer, saying that he’d like to “interrogate” her too. Ick. She’s saved when Hyuk and his entourage happen upon her as they travel on horseback through the village (that minion must be an Olympian for keeping up on foot).

Near the main gate of Jinju, Kyung-tak and a small contingency of soldiers arrive to restore order, while the magistrate and his company are ambushed by peasants on their way to the gate.

Ha-eung attempts to convince Young-rae to head back to the capital with them, since the riots and royal forces are now clashing everywhere. She insists she’ll continue herself, sending a glance Hyuk’s way, as though she’s thinking that this is the distance he wanted.

In the end she sends her maidservant with them, and Hyuk decides to go with Young-rae in order to protect her. Ha-eung promises to do what he can to console the citizens once he arrives in Hanyang, and Hyuk agrees to return soon, charging Joo Pal with Ha-eung’s safety.

Young-rae doesn’t like the idea of Hyuk following her, insistent that she can manage on her own (never mind that she just saw a girl killed and was almost raped). Hyuk’s all, I’m not following you, I just happen to be heading this way too. Ha. Cute.

Nothing says ‘I Love You’ like popping your fiancée-doppelgänger’s foot blister, because that’s exactly what Hyuk does to Young-rae in close-up detail, with white stuff oozing out of her toe and all. Seriously, they take a break from the action to play this romantic ballad while he does this, and I’m just shaking my head. Why? Why was that shot, just right now, necessary to the plot? WHY.

It’s the perfect icebreaker for them to now have a heart-to-heart, with both of them proclaiming that the other is precious to them. Young-rae sighs, “But in this world, our fate and connection would only be up to that much.”

However, the Magistrate has survived the ambush with a sword wound to the stomach. Hyuk is in a hurry to help him, but Young-rae isn’t so sure. This is interesting strictly on a moral basis, since that’s what Young-rae seems to be struggling with – is the magistrate’s life worth saving when he’s done so much evil?

Ha-eung gets his meeting with the Queen Dowager, and uses the common phrase “Please punish me by death!” which elicits a funny reaction out of her: “I barely managed to persuade His Majesty to save you, but now you are telling me to kill you?” Ha. Love her.

She’s already aware of the peasant uprising, so Ha-eung asks her to grant him an audience with the King so he can lay out his strategy of tax law reformation and punishment for corrupt officials in order to ease public sentiment.

Ha, and Young-rae actually says that the magistrate’s life isn’t worth saving when Hyuk tries to get her to help with the surgery. She tells Hyuk about his crimes, to which he asks, “Is it okay for him to die?” To Young-rae, it is, because there’s no telling what crimes he could commit in the future. Hyuk thinks differently.

Young-rae asks him if he’d then be responsible if the magistrate lived to kill ten or even one hundred people, and Hyuk tries to convince her that that’s not the point – a doctor’s job isn’t to determine who should live or die, but to do their utmost in saving the person in front of them.

She still doesn’t agree, and Hyuk asks her honestly if she thought that being a doctor would be as easy as giving injections and handing out prescriptions, and if she does, then he’s taught her wrong. He admits that he thought the same until “that person” made him realize differently.

Of course he’s talking about Mina, which has Young-rae in tears, asking why he’s talking about a person that isn’t here. (Seriously, Young-rae, this is like the first conversation where you haven’t brought her up first. Chill.) Young-rae: “I am not that person who is your lover, but Hong Young-rae. Hong Young-rae, standing right here and living in Joseon.” She leaves, declaring that she won’t assist him with the surgery.

Hyuk proceeds to suture up the wound, only it’s not long before an angry mob surrounds the hut, looking for the magistrate. Young-rae didn’t take long to change her mind because she holds them off from entering by holding her silver knife to her own neck, threatening suicide if they try to go inside. So, she went from wanting the magistrate dead to putting her life on the line in order to protect him? Okay then.

Hyuk finishes the surgery and then lets the mob in, his job complete. But surprise surprise, the angry mob decides to take Hyuk and Young-rae with them.

King Cheoljong is sick, and has basically declared a free-for-all as far as the rebellion, giving the Court absolute power. Ha-eung knows this as he faces of with Minister Kim, though his words of advice not to meet the public with more force go unheeded, as Minister Kim and his lackeys take to calling Ha-eung out on his constant visits with the Queen Dowager.

Meanwhile, the mob drags Hyuk and Young-rae to their fortified city… where Young-hwi presides as leader of the rebels? Oooh, way to bring him back in style. Hyuk and Young-rae are obviously shocked to see him, having had no idea of his Anonymous persona until now.

Kyung-tak is aware of Young-hwi’s involvement, as a flashback shows a skirmish they had earlier that day. He prepares to attack the city by morning, and in voiceover we hear him say, “Young-hwi… It doesn’t seem that our fate can be avoided by our will. We have come too far.”

As the rebels prepare for war, Young-hwi explains how he became the leader of the movement and their just cause. Hyuk tries to persuade him that it’s all useless (knowing what he does about history), and Young-hwi uses an analogy Hyuk can understand – would he give up if the patient were dying? It’s the same with Young-hwi and the rebels.

But Hyuk knows that something’s off, since the Jinju Rebellion in history didn’t involve a full-scale battle like this… and then with dawning horror he realizes that history has changed because he saved Young-hwi’s life, and now Young-hwi is leading the rebellion. Ergo, he changed history again. I am loving these developments – all of Hyuk’s medical gallivanting is finally coming back to bite him.

Ha-eung meets with Nephew-in-law (we’ll go ahead and call him Officer Lee from now on) and Chun-hong about the King’s ailing health and his lack of an heir. They’ve got plenty to worry about with Doctor Yoo being on Minister Kim’s side, which spurs Ha-eung’s suggestion… What if they moved Hyuk to the Royal Clinic?

Officer Lee doesn’t think it’s possible, when Doctor Yoo has the final say – which is when Chun-hong comes up with an idea, and leads Ha-eung to the gambling den where Minister Kim’s smiley lackey is sorely losing in a game rigged by Joo Pal.

Kyung-tak prepares a pretty sizable force to storm the rebel stronghold, while Young-hwi keeps the magistrate hostage as a trump card should the battle go badly for him. He’s upset to find Hyuk and Young-rae still within the city, even though she won’t go without him.

There’s no turning the tide now, no matter how much Hyuk pleads with Young-hwi to stop. Even if he wanted to, the people wouldn’t listen – having been taken advantage of their whole lives, they’ve finally had enough. The sound of approaching war drums lends urgency to this scene, as Young-hwi puts on a brave front at the frightening sound in order to give Young-rae his last words.

And then the full-scale battle begins, with Kyung-tak’s forces storming the fort while the rebels struggle to defend it with bows, arrows, and rocks. They’ve got the upper hand with the high walls but Kyung-tak’s forces have military training, and attack in organized waves.

Kyung-tak orders a volley of gunmen to take out most of the living bodies defending the gates, before sending in the battering ram to take down the gate. They breach the walls, and things are looking grim for Young-hwi and his army of slightly-organized farmers as Kyung-tak and his men start cutting them down like weeds.

Young-hwi and Kyung-tak only get a few seconds of eye contact before Young-hwi orders their retreat, with plans to take the magistrate along for the ride.

Hyuk decides to go back and help the wounded as he and Young-rae are fleeing, and orders her to go on without him because he doesn’t want her to be in danger anymore. Not because of Mina, but because of her, the only version of her that’s standing in front of him. Aww.

They’re interrupted by the sound of a gunshot coming from the field where Kyung-tak and Young-hwi’s forces battle it out, with the magistrate scurrying to hide nearby. Kyung-tak’s gun ends up within the magistrate’s reach (uh oh), while our boys take their fight through the forest and onto a cliff.

They get a small chance to talk, and their rapport is no different from their best friend days – only now with swords. Young-hwi thanks him for helping to clear Young-rae of her charges, and the fight resumes until it’s Young-hwi on the ground with Kyung-tak’s sword at his neck.

Kyung-tak draws back as if to strike, but spares his friend in the end. Kyung-tak: “My only friend has just left to the netherworld. Now there is no one who is my friend.” Aww. Sad.

Only the magistrate slinks up with Kyung-tak’s gun, and doesn’t think twice before shooting Young-hwi in the heart. Blood from the wound spatters onto Kyung-tak’s face. Nooo!

Hyuk and Young-rae arrive in time to see him shot, but Young-hwi falls over the edge of the cliff. Kyung-tak rushes to the edge, calling out his name, but the magistrate seems oblivious and wants it to be recorded that he killed the rebel leader…

And Kyung-tak kills him on the spot, while Young-rae cries out for her brother at the edge of the cliff.

Ha-eung executes a setup on the gambling minister, KIM BYUNG-OK, and with such a punishable offense as to try and trade government rice for gambling money, Ha-eung now has him in the palm of his hand.

Dae-gyun’s unhappy when official word comes in that Kyung-tak squelched the riots, and even unhappier when his father suggests inviting him back into the house. To make matters worse (or better, for us anyway), Ha-eung gets Kim Byung-ok wasted enough to rescind his allegiance to Minister Kim.

The only news Chun-hong has for Ha-eung is that the leader of the rioters was killed, only neither of them know it was Young-hwi. She doesn’t have news of Hyuk or Young-rae, and we find Hyuk tending to an unconscious and feverish Young-rae in Kyung-tak’s Jinju outpost.

Her words from earlier come back to haunt him, when she’d specifically asked if he would take responsibility for the lives the magistrate could take away if he were saved. Yikes. Every action has a consequence, and this time it was Young-hwi.

Kyung-tak orders Hyuk to leave Young-rae in his care and Hyuk, with no one else to confide in, admits that everything happened because of him. And prickly Kyung-tak even offers something close to comfort in saying that Young-hwi chose the path of death by himself. Aww.

So Kyung-tak is left to tend to Young-rae, which sends him down memory lane. We flash back to an adorably awkward Kyung-tak as he tries to buy a norigae for Young-rae at the market, and Young-hwi, totally aware of his best friend’s feelings, gets Kyung-tak to inadvertently hold his hand thinking all the while that it’s Young-rae’s hand he’s holding. (“My Lady, your hands are quite lovely.”) Hahaha. This is amazing. Also sad. I miss Young-hwi.

Back in the present, at least, Kyung-tak is finally able to hold her hand.

Ha-eung stops his son on the way to school and asks him the virtuous Joseon equivalent of the ‘If a train is traveling two-hundred miles per hour’ question, essentially giving him a pop quiz on how to be a good king. Myeong-bok passes with flying colors, his sentiments toward the rebellion that of his father’s and not Minister Kim’s, when he claims that people should be ruled by virtue and not force.

He then goes to the Queen Dowager to pitch the idea of Hyuk working in the Royal Clinic, and she agrees to give the order if Ha-eung will take care of Doctor Yoo. He’s got that handled with Kim Byung-ok’s blackmail.

The Council of Evil meets over the matter, and lo and behold, Kim Byung-ok broaches the idea (given to him by Ha-eung) that having Hyuk in the Royal Clinic isn’t such a bad idea – after all, Doctor Yoo controls the clinic, so Doctor Yoo could finally have a measure of control over Hyuk. It would also be good for politics, and Minister Kim agrees to it, though he gives some serious side eye to Kim Byung-ok, as if he knows what’s going on.

And as it turns out, he does, because he’s consorting with Doctor Yoo to double-cross everyone. Doctor Yoo agrees to let Hyuk into the Royal Clinic on the basis that they’ll need a fall guy when the King eventually dies, and Hyuk is the perfect choice. Maniacal laugh.

Hyuk confides in Ha-eung about Young-hwi’s death, feeling wholly responsible for it since he saved the man who killed him hours before. Ha-eung offers some consolation news – he’s been ordered to transfer to the Royal Clinic!

Hyuk gives Chun-hong’s Change everything back! speech a good two seconds of thought before agreeing to the deal. I hope you know what you’re doing.

Ha-eung accompanies him on his first day of work, and Doctor Yoo leads him to his first job – tending to the ailing King Cheoljong. All three go to greet the elusive king, bowing low once they reach his private room.

COMMENTS

Another strong episode, which I never really thought I’d get to say about Dr. Jin, and I’m ridiculously happy that I can. It feels like this show has finally come into its own and embraced the rich historical period it set itself in, thus beginning to deliver on the promises it made the second Lee Ha-eung was plunked into the story. I was expecting the political conspiracy to overshadow the doctor drama, but the writers were really on this week in giving Hyuk so many terrible consequences for all the life-saving he’s been doing. It’s nice to know he’s not in some weird vacuum where nothing he does matters, because now everything he does matters.

I liked that the beginnings of the Donghak Peasant Revolution were brought in, since we managed to get a dramatized version of an historical event and managed to make our characters relevant, in that Hyuk saving Young-hwi changed the whole course of the revolution. The fact that he’s now realizing that in a very real way, especially with Young-hwi’s death(?), is awesome. It’s like a mutant version of the butterfly effect, only Hyuk removed that butterfly’s cousin from some guy’s ear and it’ll probably cause another world war somewhere down the line. The question then becomes: Will Song Seung-heon be able to convey these very complex emotional scars Hyuk must now be carrying with the weight of so many dead peasants and one possibly dead I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-the-body Young-hwi hanging over his head? Guess we’ll find out.

It’s rare to see a show that turns around for the better halfway into the game, so next week will be really telling as to whether it’ll keep it up. But I like the darker path Kyung-tak is taking as a result, because he still manages to be surprising. The way his personality is painted is almost psychotic, really, because he’s quick to act on gut instinct and is very dangerous when he does. You want to think he’s a nice guy because he spared Young-hwi, but then he kills lots of peasants, and doesn’t even blink when he kills a young girl, or a magistrate, for that matter. Different circumstances, same outcome.

The magistrate-killing is almost worse than if he had just killed Young-hwi, because it means he’s very selective in who receives mercy and who doesn’t, a value system that’s interesting considering the struggles he’s lived through as an illegitimate son. I don’t know how to feel about him as a character simply because he is consistent with his inconsistencies, in a way that consistently makes inconsistent sense. Consistently, that is. Isn’t it? Hold me.

July 4, 2012 at 2:16 PM

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Young Hwi, I take this time to
mourn....alas, he was destined to die but it was still so sad to watch. The bursting of the blister totally grossed me out like was that really important to the flow of the episode?! Overall, I agree it was a vast improvement of previous episodes. Here's hoping that it continues....

July 4, 2012 at 2:53 PM

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Just when i decide am done with BIG then i get totally sucked into Dr Jin! Funny cuz slowly but surely i realised i was looking forward to my weekends and not just for our F44 gents! Hell i dont even press forward anymore when Kyung Tak's on... progress!

July 4, 2012 at 3:17 PM

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"Nothing says ‘I Love You’ like popping your fiancée-doppelgänger’s foot blister, because that’s exactly what Hyuk does to Young-rae in close-up detail, with white stuff oozing out of her toe and all. Seriously, they take a break from the action to play this romantic ballad while he does this, and I’m just shaking my head. Why? Why was that shot, just right now, necessary to the plot? WHY."

YUP! No scene from this drama should be spared from medical interventions. Cuz that's what medicine is all about, it intervenes in EVERYTHING, no matter how poignant or serious or comical the moment is.

July 4, 2012 at 3:30 PM

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I am not watching this drama but keeping up with the recaps and I got to say, I find this drama so entertaining! But more from the Crazy factor this drama exudes, than anything else. Thanks for the recap!

July 4, 2012 at 3:33 PM

Heads, thanks for the recap and I'm glad you seem to enjoy this episode as much as I do =)

I like everything in this episode except for the gross white liquid that was oozing from Young-rae's pricked toe. WAE, like seriously WAE?!

Moving on...

This is not the first time the dilemma of doing your best to save every single patient, versus saving patients selectively is eluded to in a medical drama (or a half a medical drama, for a few episodes I was so sure that this is really mainly a history drama w/ medicine & time travel as side dishes). But the fact that the negative consequence came so immediately and was so grave in magnitude is a "nice" (not NICE as in what happened, since I loooooove Young-hwi) touch.

It's interesting to see that Hyuk was all morally righteous when he talked about the issue in a theoretical sense, but later could come up with zero defense when the potential aftermath really happened. I really hope they will deal with this dilemma in more depth as I've seen it glossed over a couple of times in pure medical dramas.

I've always viewed Kyung-tak as an amoral character with a conscience, making him very complicated and unpredictable. The way he was brought up, the environment he grew up in, the very DNA he inherited from evil dad- these all should've made him nothing but a walking tool/weapon of Minister Kim. If not for the kindness and friendship of Young-hwi and Young-rae.

So I am hoping, that with the "death" (me too, no corpse, no death in a K-drama, nuh uh) of Young-hwi would serve as a wake-up call for Kyung-tak, who has all his life lived for someone else, to really think about what kind of person HE wants to be. I think Young-hwi is the one and only character in the story that we have seen showing Kyung-tak love (really, him willing to die at Kyung-tak's hands, that's some serious brotherhood, yo!), and hence likely the best catalyst to initiate change in Kyung-tak's life for the better.

July 4, 2012 at 6:47 PM

He has indeed a conscience. It shows, for example when they torture a girl in the previews episode and he was obviously not ok with it yet he did nothing to stop it

The amoral part makes me think. He did the right thing by discovering the truth behind how the Queen was poisoned, he seemed to be deep in thought about Ha-eung words about how he was the only one who could set things right. He objected when the proposal of getting the town in fire and pointed out about the social issues that came with Colera and how people were taking advantage of that situation.

BUT he seems to throw his moral aside when it comes to fulfilling his duty as a soldier, when following his father orders …and when it comes to his beloved ones: Young-hwi and Young-rae.
He could not kill Young-hwi even if he was a criminal and was in the wrong from KyungTak point of view. What soldier? What military duties? He let him escape more than once.

July 4, 2012 at 7:27 PM

The most telling part of Kyung-tak sparing Young-hwi multiple times I think, is the fact that Young-hwi actually tried to kill MINISTER KIM, for whom Kyung-tak would pretty much sacrifice his soul.

The reason I say Kyung-tak is amoral is not because I think he completely lacks moral fiber, but that he places loyalty to dad, Young-hwi & Young-rae above everything else. The day that Young-rae was captured and tortured, he was still reeling from the shock that Young-hwi was the leader for Anonymous and almost got his father killed, otherwise I would have imagined a more immediate and strong reaction from him. He even asked Young-hwi later if Young-rae knew about his secret identity, so maybe he was even questioning Young-rae a bit in his state of confusion.

I can't even be sure what he'd have done if it was his older brother that pulled the trigger and supposedly have killed Young-hwi. Think daddy might actually regret thinking he could always rely on Kyung-tak as a pawn one day...

July 4, 2012 at 7:54 PM

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That's a really good reading into Kyung Tak's character. I think for one, because of the amount of discrimination he's been receiving since he's a child, he grew up into thinking that maybe loyalty will buy him love from his father and the Hong siblings because it does not seem that anyone will love him for who he is but only what he does.
In a way, he's incredibly single minded in the sense that he looks at doing things the 'right' way, upholding the law not for the people but for his father. But when the two most important persons in his life, he is split between wanting to do right and covering up for his father. So he goes both ways, for instance, getting evidence for the release of Hyuk, Ha eung and Young rae but also killing the girl who is the only living witness in the matter so that no one can implicate his father.
FOr him, morality or conscience plays a smaller part in his considerations. I guess you can say he's selfish or he's not looking at the bigger picture of the society or the country as a whole but only in his circle.
But the thing is, he's never been shown to have been brought up to think of the bigger picture. As far as it's been portrayed so far, he's not a scholar who is well versed in politics or economics of the world. It's Joseon so I don't think we can regard that knowledge is widely spread, even though he's the minister's son. I don't think Left Minister Evil have ever cared for any education or development for his bastard son.
But the what-if you brought up, if he's older brother was the one who pulled the trigger, is very thought provoking because I don't think anyone can predict what Kyung tak would have done. I did enjoyed the way he killed off Magistrate Pervert though.
I think I remember reading somewhere that the production team mentioned that Kyung tak's role is a pivotal role added to the plot even though it did not exist in the original Japanese Jin. I hope it meant that he will be the one who will deal the killing blow (figuratively) on the Andong Kim clan. It will be a nice character development if he manages to get over his daddy issues and do the right thing. His character is the only one that I care for in this story so far. Now that Young hwi's gone, I hope that will become something that really changes him.

July 7, 2012 at 8:41 AM

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I agree with most of what you say, but this part:

“you can say he’s selfish or he’s not looking at the bigger picture of the society or the country as a whole but only in his circle.”

I disagree. I remember when the Colera case he saw how people took advantage of it he informed to his dad about said social issue. He can look at a bigger picture but he won’t do anything against his father orders. In a sense I don’t think he even cares about a bigger picture because I think he doesn’t even see himself as part of a bigger picture. I don’t know

But I would love to see how his decisions and his actions can be part of a turning point.

And more than anything I would love to see him getting over his daddy issues as you said, and also Young-rae (sorry girl). I don’t care whether he turns out good or bad, but I would love to see him getting stronger.

July 4, 2012 at 3:34 PM

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I'm enjoying the fact that the last two episodes of this drama had some actual....drama. :)

I think it's absolutely consistent with Hyuk's character as a modern doctor that he should want to save the murderer/rapist, but I think he should have been a bit more quick to realize that that's a hard sell to Young Rae, who personally witnessed his crimes and probably would have been raped if Hyuk et. al. hadn't shown up at just the right time.

She had the realistic expectation that as a government official, he would probably not be punished and could likely commit similar crimes in the future.

July 4, 2012 at 5:11 PM

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I hate to admit that the drama is getting interesting. And begin to wonder how thin is the line Kyung Tak is standing on. It was like, you just don't know what he would do next. I guess, the term psychopath fist somehow. I wanted to believe Kyung Tak is good, not in the pititful second lead way, but, goos because he was a person who can actually show compasion to others. I still believe he could really spare people the heartache. I mean, he does seem like he have a concsience... Am I wrong?

As for Dr Jin, I am still on the fence about the hot-shot-who-can-save-anyone. It's a bit annoying still. Though the fact that he is beginning to show his realization that every action which he took actually have consequence is good. Finally he started to think instead of the whole; I'm a doctor, it's job to save people.

As far as romance goes... I'm just... *sighs* They wasn't even born in the same time period (Jin & Young-rae), doesn't that technically made her older by like... A hundred years?

July 5, 2012 at 12:31 AM

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True they (Jin and Young-rae weren't born in the same time period but who is to say that the future hasn't changed yet? Maybe there is no Mina in the future or maybe she became different from what he remembered or maybe there is no more Jin and Mina. If there is no more future Mina then Jin can get with Young-rae.

July 4, 2012 at 6:35 PM

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I’m loving the way the story gets more and more interesting in each chapter. I was really annoyed how the first episodes were all about “Dr. Jin” medical skills and everywhere he went there were the must ridiculous excuses to show off said amazing skills.

But I’m glad the story is developing well. I love how now the consequences of Hyu’s actions are starting to show. How his hero complex of saving everyone left aside the number #1 rule of time travel: Do not alter history!

About the character of Kyung-tak, this is the character I’m more curious about because he has potential to become the real bad guy, ruthless and with no mercy, just like his father think about him, a potential weapon…

But I will disagree with you about inconsistencies because I do think he is quite consistent.

He is loyal to a few people: his dad, Young-hwi and Young-rae. He would die for those people. But he would also kill for them. Just like he killed the magistrate without a blink of an eye, that guy just killed his best friend!

He has killed following his military duties, but he has also shown remorse (when he set the village on fire he was against it for example) and he doesn’t seem to be cruel per se. I think he is even fair.

The thing is about his conflict… he would follow his father orders even if they go against what he believes is right or wrong, but for Young-rae he would even defy his father… or not?

He is a character on the edge, with a lot of frustration, a lot of anger but must important with a huge need to be loved by those who he loves. He would do anything for them and he could definitely go insane in this path looking for his dad recognition and approval. Or by Young-rae rejection.

Talking about Young-rae… is the second time they hint she is not what she seems to be, that she has some secrets. I can’t wait to see what those secrets are because so far I’m really annoyed at her character and her never ending tears.

And the political conspiracies also make my head spin, in a good way. I think the Minister Kim is always a step ahead, he is so cleaver! But they have Chun-hong who is just as cleaver and with just the right weapons: beauty and brains (and mischievousness ;) )

July 4, 2012 at 7:11 PM

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Now that Young Hwi's dead I feel like there is no reason to even watch this anymore, if not for the delimma of Kyung Tak I'd stop here and now. And okay riddle me this, after all Choon-Hong said about changing fate with the lives he saves he goes and saves that magistrate. Has this idiot learned nothing????? This seriously made me look at his moral delimma as a bit of a joke, seriously you know all of your actions have consequences but you go on regardless to ease your moral conscience? SERIOUSLY!! and then he goes to help the peasants, sheesh he knows that he disrupts history with each life he saves, and yea its just peasants now but god knows what saving one peasant's life will do? THis man thinks of nothing but how to appease his guilt and conscience by saving people even though he knows that it will have consequences not only for himself but for his country as well. I grow tired of him and Young Rae, there seriously seems to be no reason to follow this anymore.

July 5, 2012 at 12:33 AM

July 5, 2012 at 10:19 AM

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Yeah, but what has me knocking my head up against the wall week after week is that the premise of this show is built upon the foundation that he is a *genius* brain surgeon. As in, "you don't have to be a brain surgeon or rocket scientist to..."

He's had more than enough time (12 whole episodes!) to figure out that his actions might have consequences. I mean, the guy is so smart and talented he's batting a thousand when it comes to saving Joseon lives with nothing more than crabs mallets and stethoscopes made out of coconuts. Ask any third grader who's seen Back To The Future about the dos and don'ts of time travel and they'll tell you not to mess with the timeline.

If Jin can conjure up penicillin from recalling hazy memories of half-listening to his boring Mary-Sue girlfriend then he can apply any number of scientific theories to his situation-- basic cause and effect, Newton's first and third laws of motion, and chaos theory/the butterfly effect, just to name a few.

My suspension of disbelief gave out a long time ago and I've stayed on for the lulz/overly graphic depictions of explosive diarrhea but, seriously, show, GIMME A BREAK.

July 4, 2012 at 7:18 PM

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"Nothing says ‘I Love You’ like popping your fiancée-doppelgänger’s foot blister, because that’s exactly what Hyuk does to Young-rae in close-up detail, with white stuff oozing out of her toe and all."

hahaha... I had the same thoughts too and it's reaaaaallly ridiculous. How the actors managed to keep things "dramatic" without cracking up is beyond me. I can literally imagine their faces once the director says "cut!"... hahaha...

I also find myself loving Kyung Tak one moment, and hating him the next. Such a complicated character!

July 4, 2012 at 7:39 PM

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So whatever happened to the magical brain fetus...

Also... it seems that Dr. Jin is learning that the past is destined. Although he messed things up for a while, time straightened itself out. The Magistrate and Younhui both should have been dead and now they are. Now it's the Left Minister's turn.

July 4, 2012 at 7:53 PM

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Always nice reading your reviews on this drama,thank you very much. I really liked this episode, I think is the best of the show so far. The characters are all well defined now except maybe Kungtak. Dr jin is now more believable as a conflicted character as he begins to realize that he is interfering with history so his future will change if he doesn't fix that. Youngrae has her secrets; one of them being christian, I think nobody knows of that yet, that could be one of the reason she is refusing Kungtak at the moment, other aspects of her will be revealed as well. Minister Kim is cunning and evil, his disregard for his son even if born out of wedlock is appalling but understandable in that era( his acting is spot on), his elder son is so far the most despicable character in the drama; jealous, sleazy, greedy, & a coward, looking forward to seeing what will become of him( but is an excellent actor none the less).
Young hwi character is a good one that will be missed, now that he is gone, this will make Haeung work more to improve the situation for the people. Lastly, Kungtak's life is a sad contradicting mess, his character is one of the strongest point of the show, he is the line that connect everybody, but sadly he can't find any connection in his world anymore esp after the death of his best friend. He strives to get the recognition and affection of his father, who only sees a smart and courageous tool that he will use and discard later on, he loved YR for so long, but she still never returned his feeling. Jaejoong so far in my opinion is doing a marvelous job for his first historical drama, he will learn a lot from this role.

Chunhong is interesting and will help tie up many loose ends. I also had to comment on the other cast memebers who are providing a stellar performance esp JooPal, the Clinic doctor, & Dr yoo. This show could have been much better, but despite the weak points in directing and script; the cast are compensating for that, as all are excellent in their roles.

July 4, 2012 at 7:58 PM

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This episode somewhat pissed me off, in that, darnit, drama, this is what you should have been doing for the last 11 episodes. Delivering so late is frustrating and confusing .... we are used to dramas starting out strong and sucking in the end, not the reverse. You could have been this good all along.

Still, there's plenty of room for this drama and it's apparently bi-polar PD, writers, and cast to go gloriously askew in the closing episodes.

Hope doesn't even spring, let alone spring eternal. At this point, I'm just watching to see THT and hope for some nudity.

That's it, it has come down to him hopefully being naked and I don't care about anything else.

July 6, 2012 at 7:34 AM

July 4, 2012 at 8:50 PM

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I'm seriously mourning Young-hwi's death. Well, I mean...kinda. He was among my favorite characters. And that flashback just made me love him more. >.< I mean, that was my favorite scene in this whole drama...it was just really cute, and seeing Jaejoong be himself (lol, totally awkward and full of fail) was kinda amusing. But also really tragic to see how they've had to grow up and been pitted against each other.

And I really LOVE Kyung-tak as a character. Not because I think he's a great guy or anything, but because he's sooo interesting. I think it's rare in a K-drama to see something genuinely so...gray. He has potential to be good, but he has potential to be bad as well, and everything in his life has pushed him into that direction.

Anyways, I've been thinking for a while that's he's definitely gonna die in the end, but after Young-hwi's death I'm pretty much positive. I can't imagine it not happening. Originally I thought he was going to go completely dark and evil but somehow give his life up for Young-rae at the end...but I'm not so sure now. I dunno...after Young-rae's rejection and Young-hwi's death, I don't think there's anything stopping him from completely going to the dark side, but maybe in the end it'll be the memory of Young-hwi that causes him to die in some way? ...The point is, I definitely think that's going to happen. :P

And Young-rae is still annoying me...this would never happen, but I want her to seriously challenge Dr. Jin's morals sometime. I know she kinda questioned him this episode...so maybe it will happen after all. :) I hope so. It would make her character a lot more appealing to me. Just because he seems to know everything, doesn't mean he does.... :/

July 4, 2012 at 9:10 PM

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Re: Kyung Tak dying: totally agree. He's been morally ambiguous throughout and I'm thinking the writers will probably let him be the tragic hero - some final act to save Young Rae or maybe Joseon and prove that his conscience has won out over his loyalty.

July 5, 2012 at 1:33 PM

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I disagree. KKT's conscious hasn't been sealed yet and therefore his fate can't be either. YoungHwi was supposed to die in episode 2. Why do people keep forgetting this? His death doesn't mean that the others are suddenly susceptible to death because YH's death HAD to occur.
Dr. Jin already said it. The rebellion became more violent becuase YH lived to lead it which wasn't supposed to happen. Dr. Jin messed up when he saved him that fateful night. The lamentable death was only putting things back in their place.

No one knows what KKT's fate will be. As the writer's said; KKT is not part of the original series so he can go any which way. He could turn against his family, he could become a villain, he could become a hero heck he could even lead a rebellion and dispose of Ha-Eung (whose son is just a kid) once the King kicks the bucket. He could even kill Hyuk if he wanted to (but that won't happen cause he is the lead). If you had a character with that much potential would you kill him off for someone as lame as YoungRae? or YoungHwi who is ALREADY dead?

I don't doubt that the writers have some "secrets" with YoungRae but she will never be a strong lead. She stood up to Hyuk but he still went on with the surgery. She tried to stop her brother but what good did it do? Did he listen to her? Even KKT can dismiss her when he needs to. A character like her can only do her will through others and only if they love her which all 3 previously mentioned men do and even then they can STILL ignore her.

July 5, 2012 at 11:29 PM

July 4, 2012 at 8:50 PM

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Too little, too late. It's nice to see that the director and his writer minions have apparently sobered up, but we're talking a 16 ep drama here. 4 eps to go and we still have to get back to square one, the bandaged man, the baby in the bottle and whether or not PMY's character is dead or in a coma - with the BIG question being what was the point of all this? It wasn't like Dr. Jin needed to go back and FIX history - considering that he single-handedly screwed the pooch entirely on his own after the leap.

If there's one thing we all know - if you find yourself doing time-travel, you sure as heck tiptoe through it taking care not to 'butterfly' anything. Any Trekkie devotee knows that. Apparently, Dr. Jin wasn't allowed to watch tv as a youngster, thus accounting for his stomping through time, feeding his physician God Complex.

And seriously, romantic music for popping huge, oozy blisters?! Thank goodness she wasn't limping due to a case of genital warts.
See? It coulda been worse..... :)

July 5, 2012 at 6:03 AM

July 4, 2012 at 10:04 PM

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I agree. This episode has alot of twist and I just want to keep watching. The characters have their moments but I'm glad it's getting there. Subconsciously,I felt some characters had no basis to be in the show b/c of the story line but hopefully til the end of the show there will be excitement and reason.

July 4, 2012 at 10:40 PM

July 4, 2012 at 10:42 PM

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I can feel how much everyone is improving, the writer is also doing a great job in the last 2 episodes. But I feel like their brothership between KyungTak and Younghwi was something that the writer should have showing us in the first episodes...Honestly it was much more interesting that showing us Dr. Jin surgeries. But well i suposse it's because the drama is about Dr. Jin...It was also interesting seeing how YoungRae wasn't really cold towards KyungTak, she was all smiling to him in the market scene.

Dr. Jin was all rightful doing surgeries everyone, creating penicillin and even donuts(lol). Finally he is realizing that all what he has done is starting to bring negative consequences and changing the history.. Despite receiving the warning by the gisaeng, he still didn't catch the message and saved the life of the magistrate...So no wonder he feels guilty for the dead of YoungHwi....

Since I watch Dr. Jin on Viki....It's kind of funny to read the comments related to KyungTak. First they are hating him, then being sorry for the hate comments, then on the next scene they are being sorry for being sorry?...lol In episode 12 most of us already start to like him, despise seeing him killing the magistrate, In fact we all cheer for him when he killed him... Indeed, this character really brings so much emotions, he is in the line of becoming the evil character, but even when it's happening I can't help to feel sorry for him... Because I already watched the japanese version of Dr. Jin, and Kyungtak is a character that didn't exist in the Jdrama, I can't help to feel curious what is going to happen to him...

I have so much anticipation in the next episodes mostly because of Kyungtak, then YoungRae...what is she going to do and I want to know if her feelings to Dr. Jin will change because of her brother dead...It's also interesting to know gisaeng revelation to Dr. Jin, she seems to hide more secrets, because she told Dr. Jin about her role and why he still didn't figure out, but he will do someday... I like Ha-eung character too.. Kim Beun Soo acting is great!...Dr. Jin internal conflicts now it make his character more interesting too...Now he needs to think twice before saving someone life...

July 5, 2012 at 1:17 AM

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I still can't believe Young-hwi is dead (I want to see proof! I want him to get saved by some farmer somewhere so that he can come back) I miss his sexy voice.

"It’s like a mutant version of the butterfly effect, only Hyuk removed that butterfly’s cousin from some guy’s ear and it’ll probably cause another world war somewhere down the line' -Heads, you slay me all the time, LMAO!

"The question then becomes: Will Song Seung-heon be able to convey these very complex emotional scars Hyuk must now be carrying with the weight of so many dead peasants and one possibly dead I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-the-body Young-hwi hanging over his head? Guess we’ll find out."- I want to say he is but I don't want to get my hopes up but I think he did a serviceable job when he thought Ha Eung would die.

"I don’t know how to feel about him as a character simply because he is consistent with his inconsistencies, in a way that consistently makes inconsistent sense. Consistently, that is. Isn’t it? Hold me." -I also don't know how I feel about him but I think the only consistent thing about him is his loyalty to Minister Kim, Young-hwi and Young-rae. It just occurred to me that the writers are kinder making him to be Bidam-esq. Let me rewrite this, I think he is only loyal to Young-rae. When his dad wanted to burn the village he only saved Young-rae, all the other villagers be damned. The same way Bidam in QSD only wanted to save Deokman. He seems loyal to Minister Kim now but I won't be surprised if he turns on him when Young-rae is threatened the same way Bidam turned against his adopted father Muno.

I think JJ and Minister Kim have an interesting relationship. I think his father loves and values him way more than his idiot brother but he only shows it indirectly. JJ, on the other-hand, doesn't see it even though his dad arranged for his marriage to his woman of choice and broke it when JJ wanted it broken. He put JJ in charge of suppressing the rebels as he has full faith in his abilities. I honestly think JJ is being groomed to take over (or be the power behind) the Andong Kim clan even though he is an illegitimate. But it is being done in a messed up way so I won't be surprised if he lashes out at his dad. I hope JJ will be able to become more consistent in his acting as he was bringing it when he was acting against Young-hwi. I want him to fully embrace being a double edged sword. I want him to be crazy dangerous.

July 5, 2012 at 1:50 PM

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I agree!
Despite Minister Kim cold heart and harsh words, his actions speak more than words... Seems like JJ is his 2nd card and I will not be surprised if KyungTak overtake his old brother positon...I mean compared to his old son, Kyungtak is alot more effective..

July 5, 2012 at 6:11 AM

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I was so sad to see YW die but he was supposed to die until Dr. Jin arrived and saved him. Dr. Jin is just messing everything up by interfering with history. KT is teetering btw good and evil and it would be very interesting to see how that struggle pans out.

July 5, 2012 at 1:49 PM

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Do you say this show is getting good because you watch it or because you read the recaps? If it is the latter I really wouldn't be talking. Some people admit they only read the recaps yet somehow think they can give out opinions on the acting, on the editing etc etc just because they "read" it somewhere. I notice this A LOT on these sites. Is it so hard to just watch the show? If you don't like it you move on and if you do then enjoy?

July 5, 2012 at 11:36 AM

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PMY brother's so cute.. i love his deep voice.. and their adorable bromance scene with jaejoong.. they shoulda have more of those earlier... lazy director .. huh.. anyways... its kind of interesting at this point

July 5, 2012 at 1:25 PM

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Even w/ the continuing lack of inconsistencies of character, "Dr. Jin" has definitely gotten better the past 2 eps.

The thing that most strikingly stands out as an inconsistency in this ep is Dr. Jin being adamant about saving the evil Magistrate even tho Chun-hong had warned him about how his actions could change history.

I guess the "good thing" that comes out of this "brain fart" by Jin is that it ends up "correcting" one of his prior actions, saving the life of Young-hwi (altho, based on how characters in sageuks tend to come back to life after seemingly having met their demise after falling off a cliff - it's not conclusive that Young-hwi is dead until we see a body).

So the person that is left to be "corrected" is the Left Prime Minister.

Still, the best parts of "Dr. Jin" are the scenes involving Ha-eung, Chun-hong, the Queen Dowager, Joo Pal and Heo Gwang.

SSH really needs to find another way of expressing his character's distress/frustration aside from closing his eyes and grimacing.

Interesting that a Royal Physician is so involved in the Palace machinations/intrigue (usually they just treat the sick and are threatened w/ death if they don't save the royalty in question) - but I guess Dr. Yoo is an Andong Kim and a having a the Royal Physician in the fold is necessary to control the "sick" King.

In ep 11 when Kyung-tak put the pistol against his head anc pressed the trigger, only to hear a click - we really should have heard the gunpowder go off (which probably would have killed or put Kyung-tak into a coma), simply taking the ball out of the pistol wouldn't have stopped the powder from igniting.

July 5, 2012 at 5:34 PM

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Thank you, Heads, for yet another wonderful, hilarious recap!

Here's a little thing that bothered me about this ep. that I haven't seen mentioned yet: how the hell did Ha-eung get from Jinju (way down south, right?) to Daebimama's quarters so fast? It seemed like very little time had passed among the Jinju crowd, just enough for blister formation & popping, but suddenly, whoosh! There he was at the palace. Did he pull a Kim Boong Do, perhaps?

July 7, 2012 at 12:08 AM

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I stop watching this drama cos its very boring. I prefer the japanese version..the lead actor really carry his character well.. but i dont seem to be attracted by the lead actor here.Maybe to me its not convincing.. I still prefer he act in My Princess.. But the rest just continuing watching if u like it. this is my opinion..